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Court Martial
' |image= |series= |production=6149-15 |producer(s)= |story= |script=Don Mankiewicz and Steven W. Carabatsos |director=Marc Daniels |imdbref=tt0708425 |guests=Percy Rodriguez as Cmdre Stone, Elisha Cook as Samual T. Cogley, Joan Marshall as Areal Shaw, Richard Webb as Ben Finney, Hagan Beggs as Mr. Hansen, Alice Rawlings as Jamie Finney, Bart Conrad as Kransnowsky, William Meader as Lindstrom and Tom Curtis as Corrigan |previous_production=The Galileo Seven |next_production=The Menagerie Part 1 |episode=TOS S01E20 |airdate=2 February 1967 |previous_release=Tomorrow Is Yesterday |next_release=The Return of the Archons |story_date(s)=2947.3 - 2950.1 (2267) |previous_story=The Galileo Seven |next_story=The Menagerie Part 1 }} Summary During an ion storm, The Enterprise takes a severe buffeting, and Records Officer Ben Finney enters the starship's ion pod, to take important readings. When the storm makes it necessary to jettison the pod, Kirk follows normal procedures, and warns Finney to evacuate. The pod is jettisoned, with Finney apparently inside. At Starbase 11, Commodore L. T. Stone institutes a court-marital against Kirk, after discovering that Enterprise computer records show that the captain did not give Finney an adequate chance to escape from the pod. Lieutenant Areel Shaw, the prosecuting attorney, and an old girlfriend of Kirk's, retains the brilliant, but eccentric, lawyer Samuel Gogley to defend the captain. Although all the evidence is against Kirk, Mr. Spock refuses to believe that the captain did not go by the rules. The Vulcan decides that the Enterprise's computer evidence is wrong. He plays chess with the computer, winning several games, and thereby discovers the machine's programming has been altered. Finney is actually alive, in hiding aboard the Enterprise: due to an old grudge, Finney had hoped to fake his death to discredit Captain Kirk. As the Enterprise prepares to depart, Shaw delivers a gift from Cogley to Kirk on the bridge: a book. Cogley himself is busy, now representing Finney in his own trial. Kirk wishes Shaw better luck next time, but Shaw counters that she had pretty good luck in losing the current case. Shaw kisses Kirk goodbye and leaves. Kirk returns to his chair with Spock and McCoy flanking him. The Enterprise departs Starbase 11 and continues its mission. Errors and Explanations Plot Oversights # Kirk serving aboard the USS Republic as an Ensign, during which he discovered Finney's mistake, despite describing his stint on the Farragut, with the rank of Lieutenant, as his first post after graduation. Starfleet probably rewards exceptional cadets, such as Kirk, by awarding them a commissioned rank before graduation, possibly in exchange for them taking a short term assignment as a Starfleet Academy instructor following their first posting after graduation. Changed Premises # Change of appearance for Starbase 11 between this episode and The Menagerie. The base could have been upgraded between the two episodes. # Presence of a prosecutor at Kirk’s trial, but no prosecuting attorney at Spock's trial in The Menagerie. The fake Mendez could be considered as prosecutor in the latter case. Internet Movie Database Audio/visual unsynchronised # While the ship's audio sensor is sensitive enough to pick-up the sounds of the crew member's heartbeats, it does not amplify the sound of Kirk and McCoy's voice as they explain the process. McCoy probably adjusted the device to ignore voices. Character error # At the beginning of his testimony, the computer announces Spock's rank as "Lieutenant Commander." Spock, however, is a full Commander. In the official continuity, based on production order, the promotion occurred after the previous episode, so the updated information may not have been added to the computer records by this point. # When Kirk is about to give his demonstration on the bridge he states that the ship's computer has audio sensors that they can boost by "1 to the 4th power". 1 to any power is only 1 so there would be no boost at all. He probably meant to say 10 to the 4th power, which is 10,000. Understandable slip of the tongue, especially as his career and freedom depend on the results of the experiment. Continuity # When Spock is playing chess, he makes a move before McCoy walks in. He ignores the computer's spoken move (bishop 1/2 level right). He then makes another move, and the computer repeats its previous move.This could be part of the test Spock is performing to confirm his belief that the computer has been tampered with. Factual errors # Heart beats can change tempo - so how can you eliminate a heart beat without continuously monitoring it.The equipment may be advanced enough to compensate for changes in heartbeat. # Further, with the flip of a switch, Spock eliminates the heartbeats of the persons manning the transporter room. So what purpose does McCoy's "white noise" microphone serve? It allows him to directly eliminate the heartbeats of those on the bridge, especially those who are not Enterprise crew members. # When McCoy is eliminating heartbeats, he positions the device to the center of Mr. Spock's chest. It has already been established that Vulcans do not have their heart located at that position. Perhaps Vulcan heartbeats can be detected by the heartbeat detector from the center chest position. Nit Central # Hans Thielman on Saturday, January 30, 1999 - 11:59 am: It was ethically questionable, in view of Shaw's past romantic relationship with Kirk, for Shaw to act as prosecutor in the case, as it was an obvious conflict of interest. She was probably the only qualified prosecutor available. # Todd Pence on Thursday, March 04, 1999 - 8:07 pm: When Uhura reports than Finney is on his way to the pod, she gives him the rank of Commander. Everywhere else in the episode he is only a Lt. Commander. Lt Commanders are routinely described/addressed as Commander. # Keith Alan Morgan on Thursday, April 15, 1999 - 5:45 am: Jamie Finney is living at Starbase 11, but we see no evidence of her mother. Jamie's mother could be dead, or separated from Finney, during the events depicted. # dotter31 on Wednesday, February 14, 2007 - 9:24 am: Others have said they too were confused about this pod and how Finney 'died'. Was there some reason the pod or its debris was not recovered? If they had recovered it they would have found no body in it. The pod may have been vaporised. Notes Category:The Original Series Category:Episodes